Two dead, dozens injured as car drives into pedestrians in Mannheim, Germany

Mannheim [Germany], March 4 (ANI): At least two persons have died and several were injured after a car drove into a group of pedestrians in the city center of Mannheim, Germany, Euro News reported citing police statement Monday (local time).
According to the Germany news agency DPA, one person died at the scene, while another later passed away from their injuries, raising the death toll to two. Multiple people are believed to be injured, with the media reporting the number could be as high as 25.
Witnesses, including a reporter from the news agency DPA, saw a body covered with a sheet after the incident, as per Euro News.
The driver has been arrested, and police continue to investigate the scene in the Paradenplatz pedestrian area. Authorities are still working on the case, and a police operation remains ongoing in the city center.
However, the police said in a statement at 4 pm (local time) that there was no danger to the public and "no evidence of a second perpetrator".
Earlier in the day, warning apps reported a life-threatening situation, domestic media said.
According to Euro News, the Mannheim University Hospital has gone into "disaster response" mode. At least three seriously injured people -- two adults and a child -- are being treated there.
Earlier in the day, authorities asked the public to avoid downtown Mannheim and to take alternative routes due to a heavy police presence in the area. A police helicopter was seen overhead, and traffic checks were set up on nearby bridges.
The Mannheim police also issued a warning about the spread of false information related to the incident. They urged people not to share videos of the attack and to rely only on official sources for updates.
Notably, the car involved in the attack has been identified as a dark-colored or black compact SUV or similar vehicle. Reports say the car was speeding and deliberately struck several pedestrians in the main shopping street.
Mannheim is a city of about 300,000 people located some 80 kilometres south of Frankfurt.
The incident comes just weeks after two people -- a mother and a child -- were killed in a car ramming attack in Munich.
Last December, six people were killed and more than 200 injured when a car rammed into a Christmas market in the eastern city of Magdeburg. (ANI)